Officials think the blaze started in the attic, and may have been caused by a fire in the chimney. Thompson said it was called in to dispatchers at 6:45 a.m., and that by the time the firefighters arrived “she was pouring smoke out.”

“It was pretty well going by the time we got there,” he said.

Thompson said it took a crew of between 25 and 30 people more than four hours to extinguish the fire. The snowy, windy weather didn’t help, he said. Fire departments from Prospect and Searsport assisted at the scene.

He said the home is owned by Gene Ellis, and a baby in the residence actually woke the family up. The people and dogs made it safely outside, but a cat might have perished in the blaze, he said.

Thompson said he thought the home was insured. The Red Cross is helping the family with a place to stay.